When the weather is decent, I really enjoy riding my mountain bike in the woods and back roads near my house, or a bit of hiking. I also enjoy working outside around the house on various landscape or maintenance projects. I'm a regular at the Farmer's Market, too. The food and people are great. I have a comfortable, secure job, and also own and maintain some rental properties, and enjoy some (but not all!) projects involving their upkeep and improvement. I also enjoy dinners out, movies, or watching something worthwhile on the TV - yes, it's there if you look hard enough! Lately I've been enjoying old classic movies. I also visit the local gym frequently, as staying healthy and fit is one of my priorities, although I'm not a fanatic about it. I also like to cook, but could use some help in that department. I tend to prefer quality over quantity so you won't find much from Mallwart at my house. I like to keep myself, my house, and other things reasonably clean and well maintained, since neglect can come with a price. I work hard, but I'm also really good at relaxing when the time comes. I'm a bit of a "gear head" and enjoy performance vehicles of all types. For me, a car can be more than just transportation - it can also be a form of entertainment. I also have a couple of motorcycles but I don't ride them on a regular basis - mostly short rides on nice days.
I like to keep abreast of current events around the world and consider myself to be reasonably well informed in that respect. I like almost all kinds of music, but right now, the alternative music played on NPR's Sound Scape is my favorite. I still like classic rock and classical music. My two favorite games are probably chess and pool, but I also enjoy some other board and card games, although I haven't played much in a while. Scrabble can be fun. I really enjoy slow passionate kisses, caressing, and cuddling, and believe that communication and mutual respect are essential parts of a strong, rewarding relationship. I'm not the possessive or controlling sort, and have no problem with a mate who enjoys doing things on her own. I've done a bit of traveling, but would like to do more - especially in the winter. The summers here are so nice that I tend to stick around to enjoy them.

I think a first date should be casual and brief, like lunch, brunch, a drink, or maybe a walk through Campus or a gorge. Finding a suitable mate to share your life with is a challenge, to say the least, but when it happens, the rewards can be wonderful. So I'd look at a first date with hope, but not great expectations, and make the best of it and not feel let down if we were not the perfect match.
There's a lot more to say, so if I've piqued your interest and you want to learn more, please send me a note....